Continuing the discussion from What happens if we defer shipment?:
Unfortunately, I must create a new post, as the original one was not completely answered before it was closed.
I asked:
You said:
OK, suppose I ask you to hold shipment for me. Then what happens? What do I need to do to resume shipment? Do I send an email to support?
Is there a time limit for me to do this?
What happens to my place in line when I ask to resume shipment?
Looks like you omitted the actual answer in your quotes.
We’ve tried to make the process as easy as possible. Unfortunately, you cannot select a specific time window. If you want to wait until your Air Filter is ready or until the software is out of Beta, you can let us know and we’ll reach out to you again then.
So you’re saying the only allowed reason to defer shipment is to wait for the air filter or until the software is out of beta? I certainly hope that’s not the intended message.
I didn’t include that as I thought it was just some examples of why someone would want to defer, and not really germane to answering the question.
Beat me to it. Seems like there are 3 options after receiving the email - say “yes”, say “no, I’ll wait until the filter is ready” or “no, I’ll wait until the software is out of beta”.
Nowhere is there an option of “no, but I’ll take it in 9 weeks instead” 
Your reason can be whatever you want. Your options for getting the next invite/shipment are limited. I expect there’s another - wait until everyone else has theirs. But I don’t think there’s one where you get to specify a new delivery date because the logistics of trying to keep track of all of the folks who might want to specify a delivery window probably exceeds their ability to manage while they’re trying to get 10,000 of them out the door.
I’m really hoping Rita was just giving two examples of why someone would defer shipment.
Regardless, I don’t think we should have to explain why we need to defer. We could be traveling for an extended period, for example.
You’re allowed to defer for whatever reason floats your boat.
For how long? What happens when you are ready? Those were my questions. They were not answered.
I believe what she’s saying is that the next time they have specific plans to cycle through the list will be when the Filters are ready and the Pro alignment software is finished. If they have completed all other deliveries to people who want them before then, they might check back with those who deferred - you never know.
(They might be wanting to let everyone get one shot at accepting delivery before giving folks a second shot at one.)
If they get production scaled up that will just be a matter of a few weeks, so it shouldn’t be that bad by then. I still wouldn’t defer unless it was absolutely necessary.
That’s quite a conjecture. Hopefully not true. Imagine someone traveling for a month. He/she gets pushed back until the filters are ready? Or worse, until the software is out of beta! Yikes!
Imagine 1,286 people wanting to specify 1,142 different delivery days.
They are not going to have these things sitting around waiting for people, if you’re not ready, they’ll send it to the next person on the list who wanted one like it. Then they’ll circle back to the folks who weren’t ready.
They don’t have the personnel to chase after a few people who had to defer, they’ve got ten thousand of these things to move out.
I might be wrong, but I wouldn’t take the chance unless there was absolutely no way around it.
My original suggestion was not to ask for a specific delivery date, but the standard six-week time frame.
Yes, this. Sorry.
I don’t expect them to hold a particular machine for me. Nor would I want them to. Circling back to me is fine. It’s all a matter of when…
Why is it so hard for people to understand what I’m asking?
Oh, gotcha! The “when” is December I think, according to the latest schedule. (Wasn’t it end of December for the filters? Probably the beginning of December, unless they finish the Pro alignment software first.)
But what if we don’t respond to the invite? How long will they wait?
I’d imagine they’d wait until you respond.
So if you want to defer a week, don’t respond for a week.
Until specified, logic would dictate there are three possible outcomes of responding with a deferment answer.
1- tell them you’re waiting for the filter, you go to the filter line.
2- tell them you’re waiting for the software, you go to the software line.
3- you go to the back of the general line.
If they go through the general line before either 1 or 2 are ready you get another shot to accept or defer(and maybe do even if they have got them ready).
But it’s still guessing.
Great question! I hope it gets answered.
It’s all conjecture; the question should have been answered explicitly, for example:
You may defer until 1) if you ordered a basic, the basic sw is out of beta, 2) if you ordered a pro, the pro sw is out of beta or 3) if you ordered a filter when the filter is ready to ship. Those are the only options for deferral.
The answer did not make it clear if you could email support and ask to be placed back into the up to 6 week queue, which is not an unreasonable request. It is more work for Rita and team and if they say no, then ok. But the original answer wasn’t, at least to me, clear.
Starting when?
And because they’re shipping thousands of these, everyone’s “when” is going to be effectively a new day they have to track to re-send an offer to restart that 6 week clock.
It’s an easy problem until you try to deal with hundreds a day of which some choose to defer the start of their 6 week clock on a random basis.